स विस्फार्य महच् चापं द्रौणिं विव्याध पत्रिणा ॥
यथा शक्रो महाराज पुरा विव्याध दानवम् ॥
विप्रचित्तिं दुराधर्षं देवतानां भयंकरम् ॥
येन लोकत्रयं क्रोधात् त्रासितं स्वेन तेजसा ॥
तथा नीलेन निर्भिन्नः सुमुखेन पतत्रिणा ॥
संजातरुधिरोत्पीडो द्रौणिः क्रोधसमन्वितः ॥
स विस्फार्य धनुश् चित्रम् इन्द्राशनिसमस्वनम् ॥
दध्रे नीलविनाशाय मतिं मतिमतां वरः ॥
ततः संधाय विमलान् भल्लान् कर्मारपायितान् ॥
जघान चतुरो वाहान् पातयाम् आस च ध्वजम् ॥
सप्तमेन च भल्लेन नीलं विव्याध वक्षसि ॥
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ॥
मोहितं वीक्ष्य राजानं नीलम् अभ्रचयोपमम् ॥
घटोत्कचो ऽपि संक्रुद्धो भ्रातृभिः परिवारितः ॥
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन द्रौणिम् आहवशोभिनम् ॥
तथेतरे अभ्यधावन् राक्षसा युद्धदुर्मदाः ॥
तम् आपतन्तं संप्रेक्ष्य राक्षसं घोरदर्शनम् ॥
अभ्यधावत तेजस्वी भारद्वाजात्मजस् त्वरन् ॥
निजघान च संक्रुद्धो राक्षसान् भीमदर्शनान् ॥
यो ऽभवन्न् अग्रतः क्रुद्धा राक्षसस्य पुरःसराः ॥
विमुखांश् चैव तान् दृष्ट्वा द्रौणिचापच्युतैः शरैः ॥
अक्रुध्यत महाकायो भैमसेनिर् घटोत्कचः ॥
sa visphārya mahac cāpaṃ drauṇiṃ vivyādha patriṇā ||
yathā śakro mahārāja purā vivyādha dānavam ||
vipracittiṃ durādharṣaṃ devatānāṃ bhayaṃkaram ||
yena lokatrayaṃ krodhāt trāsitaṃ svena tejasā ||
tathā nīlena nirbhinnaḥ sumukhena patatriṇā ||
saṃjātarudhirotpīḍo drauṇiḥ krodhasamanvitaḥ ||
sa visphārya dhanuś citram indrāśanisamasvanam ||
dadhre nīlavināśāya matiṃ matimatāṃ varaḥ ||
tataḥ saṃdhāya vimalān bhallān karmārapāyitān ||
jaghāna caturo vāhān pātayām āsa ca dhvajam ||
saptamena ca bhallena nīlaṃ vivyādha vakṣasi ||
sa gāḍhaviddho vyathito rathopastha upāviśat ||
mohitaṃ vīkṣya rājānaṃ nīlam abhracayopamam ||
ghaṭotkaco 'pi saṃkruddho bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ ||
abhidudrāva vegena drauṇim āhavaśobhinam ||
tathetare abhyadhāvan rākṣasā yuddhadurmadāḥ ||
tam āpatantaṃ saṃprekṣya rākṣasaṃ ghoradarśanam ||
abhyadhāvata tejasvī bhāradvājātmajas tvaran ||
nijaghāna ca saṃkruddho rākṣasān bhīmadarśanān ||
yo 'bhavann agrataḥ kruddhā rākṣasasya puraḥsarāḥ ||
vimukhāṃś caiva tān dṛṣṭvā drauṇicāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
akrudhyata mahākāyo bhaimasenir ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
Nila drew his great bow and pierced Ashvatthaman with a feathered arrow, as Shakra, the great king, once pierced the unassailable danava Vipracitti, terrible to the gods, who in his fury had made the three worlds tremble with his own might. Likewise pierced by Nila's fair, feathered shaft, Ashvatthaman, streaming with blood, blazed with anger. The best of the wise drew his splendid bow, sounding like Indra's thunderbolt, and resolved to destroy Nila. Then, fitting bright broad-headed arrows forged by a smith, he slew Nila's four horses and brought down his banner. With a seventh broad-headed shaft he pierced Nila in the chest; grievously wounded and in pain, Nila sank down on the floor of his chariot. Seeing Nila, the king who resembled a mass of clouds, stunned, enraged Ghatotkacha, surrounded by his brothers, charged swiftly at Ashvatthaman, the ornament of battle. Likewise the other rakshasas, maddened for war, rushed forward as well. Seeing the dreadful-looking rakshasa advancing, the mighty son of Bharadvaja hastened to meet him and in fury struck down the terrible rakshasas who stood before Ghatotkacha. Seeing them turned back by arrows loosed from Ashvatthaman's bow, huge-bodied Ghatotkacha, son of Bhimasena, grew enraged.
bb887c5b1ce8 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:46:25 PM UTC
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The rivalry between Nila and Ashvatthaman quickly reveals the difference in their strength: Nila wounds him, but Drauni answers more precisely and destroys his means of fighting. Ghatotkacha enters the fray exactly when ordinary martial strength begins to yield before the superhuman fury of Drona's son.